The game of golf is enjoyed by a large segment of today""s population and as the population ages, more and more persons continue to enjoy participation in the sport even when frail or infirm. Devices which allow those persons whose wish it is to continue to participate in golfing and make it possible for them to continue to play in spite of increasing immobility have been in existence for some time. One of the tasks which becomes troublesome to persons who have lost the ability to bend or stoop, is the act of teeing up a golf ball on the turf. The prior art includes many devices which enable handicapped golfers to tee up a ball without stooping.
Generally, most of the prior art devices have a deficiency associated with their operation that hinders universal acceptance of the device. For instance, the tee placement device must be compact enough to fit in a golfer""s club bag and if the device bears a resemblance to a golf club the device stands a better chance of being accepted by the golfing fraternity.
The device should be capable of standing independently, that is after the teed up ball has been set up on the turf of the driving tee, the device must be capable of standing by itself on turf so that it may be retrieved by the handicapped golfer (without bending over) after the teed up ball has been driven. If the golfer is required to bend to retrieve the ball-tee placement device after driving the ball, the device may be judged to have achieved a failure rating.
Similarly, if by some misfortune, the golf ball is accidentally dislodged from its position on top of the placed tee, both the ball and tee must somehow be retrieved by the handicapped person (using the prior art device) in order to reassemble the ball and tee in the prior art device. Most of the prior art devices are lacking the ability to recover a ball and tee lying on the turf.
Thus the prior art is replete with a wide variety of devices which in one way or another tend to fall short in their performance when required to fulfill their promise. Failure of the device to perform does little to build confidence in the handicapped or infirm golfer who is desirous of being included in the golfing fraternity in spite of a severe disability.
This invention comprises a golfing aid which is capable of teeing up a golf ball on the turf of a driving tee of a golf course without requiring the golfer to bend to set the ball-on-tee on the turf. The aid is further capable of retrieving a xe2x80x9cloosexe2x80x9d golf ball which has been inadvertently dropped to the ground by the golfer or is somehow dislodged from the tee by some misfortune before being driven. The aid may also be used by the handicapped golfer to retrieve the tee whilst it is positioned in the turf after the previously positioned golf ball has been driven. Both these tasks may be accomplished without requiring the golfer to bend or stoop.
The device is provided with a flat foot in order that the handle of the device stays in an upright position when the device is set down on the turf of the driving tee when a ball-tee positioning operation has been completed. The handle of the device may then be conveniently grasped by the handicapped golfer after driving the ball, and the tee may be easily extracted from the ground using the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,227 Dec. 21, 1999
This device which uses a cage to capture a golf ball is capable of retrieving a golf ball from a water hazard on a golf course. It uses a cup like device to center the ball within the cage, in such a manner that the cup biases the ball against the tee in a ball-tee setting operation. The operation of the device as a ball-tee placement device is precarious at the best of times because of the lack of locating means surrounding the ball whilst in its tee engaging position. This device whilst having excellent ball retrieving capabilities (especially in water) is not self standing and its ability to capture a tee is open to question. There is no adjustment possible to vary the height of a teed-up ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,972 Nov. 24, 1998
This device which may be stored in a golfer""s pocket or clipped to his belt, fastens on the end of a golf club when in use. During use the device uses a threaded plunger to engage the golf ball and thrust it against a captive tee. The ball and tee are placed on the driving tee and the plunger is retracted by unscrewing the plunger to a backed off position. Note that this device has a ball and tee retrieval capability, and the device is said to be capable of retrieving a putted golf ball from a cup. This device is not an independent self standing device, and the height of the teed up golf ball is at best done by an educated guess.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,533 Jun. 30, 1998
This device is especially interesting because it is compact; it fits on the end of a driver and clips to a golf bag or golfer""s belt when not in use. The device utilizes a foam material (commonly used in ear plugs) to hold a xe2x80x9cloadedxe2x80x9d golf ball and tee in the device. Because of the foam material""s peculiar behavioral delay in recovering its shape after being physically distorted, it is compressed during a ball teeing up operation and remains compressed (and retracted from the ball) to allow the golfer to remove the device from the teed up golf ball. The main disadvantage of this device lies in the failure of the foam material to perform its normal function when saturated with water. Other short comings are the lack of any depth control in placing a ball on a tee, and the xe2x80x9ctightxe2x80x9d dimensional confinement of a golf ball in the device which can cause dislodgment of the golf ball from the tee as the device is being removed from a teed up ball. There appears to be no adjustment on tee height.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,117 Jun. 2, 1998
This device utilizes an auxiliary depressible knob on the end of a shaft to actuate a ball captivating device on the other end of the shaft. The ball is set on a tee in the device with a cap locking ball and tee in place in the device. The ball and tee are placed in the turf and the knob releases the cap and the device may be removed. The disadvantages of this device are the lack of stability of device when not in use, and the lack of any positive adjustment on tee height. It is not seen how the device may easily retrieve a golf ball from the turf.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,303 Jan. 13, 1998
This device is intended to function as a cane and a golf ball teeing device. The device is capable of gripping and holding a golf ball and tee in position for subsequent placement in the turf of a driving tee. The ball and tee gripping members may be unlocked once the tee and ball are placed in the turf. The gripping members may be then actuated to form a weight bearing surface to function as a cane. There is no provision for tee height adjustment, no means to retrieve a dropped ball or a tee set in the ground. The device is not capable of standing by itself after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,121 Sep. 30, 1997
This is a xe2x80x9cclam shellxe2x80x9d device which is spring loaded to hold a golf ball and tee captive therebetween during a ball and tee placement operation. The xe2x80x9cclam shellsxe2x80x9d are retracted to release ball and tee once a teeing position is reached. The device is useful for retrieving dropped balls and may also be useful in retrieving placed tees. No height adjustment appears to be available for the ball on tee during a placement operation. The device is not self standing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,498 Jul. 8, 1997
This device places a tee and ball separately and is capable of retrieving both golf balls and tees separately. No adjustment of tee height is given, and the device is not self standing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,696 May 27, 1997
This is a cane like device which captures a golf ball and tee for placement in the turf. The ball and tee are pressed into the turf for driving and the gripping mechanism is retracted allowing the device to be lifted. This device has no tee height adjustment, and questionable ball retrieval capability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,333 Apr. 29, 1997
This device uses a separate tee setting and ball placing apparatus. The tee is placed and the ball is placed on the tee.
The support rod and tee support member are rotated while the ball positioning member remains engaged with the ball. The ball positioning member is lifted upwardly to disengage the ball. No ball retrieval capability is foreseen and the device is not self standing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,432 Jul. 30 1996
This is a xe2x80x9chandle barxe2x80x9d golf tee and ball setter. The tee is set first in the ground and a pair of ball holding pincers are used to place the ball on the tee. This device is capable of retrieving both ball and tee. No depth control is provided for the tee, and the device is not self standing.